Boris Litvinov comes from a former Soviet republic of Moldova. He was influenced by the process of disintegration of once powerful USSR. After the immigration to the United States in his late teens, Litvinov had discovered his first love - stone art. He was also fascinated with the transition of life-less rough materials into organic fluid forms. Formally educated as a physical therapist, Litvinov has literally touched thousands of people and developed a feel for the shapes and curves of the human body. In spite of majority of his art being abstract, there is a unique feeling of something organic in each sculpture. Today, Litvinov continues his work in Santa Monica, California, transforming stone into recognizable human shapes.

Artist Statement

I feel compelled to release the shapes and textures of the stone out of their billions of years of captivity by forces of nature. My sculpting process is a form of active meditation. It helps to make sense of the chaos around the world. It feels right to transform something as cold and hard as stone into smooth, fluid, organic forms. My goal is to evoke emotion by creating abstract sculpture that makes the viewer pause and be overwhelmed by the desire to view, touch, feel, think, share, discuss, and possess the sculpture, all at the same time. In other words, I want the viewer to form that intangible connection with the sculpture which inexplicably draws one in, makes one fall in love.Stone is an excellent medium because it has so many wonderful qualities to use in order to evoke emotion. Its color and outline can set the mood, the texture and shapes can tap into the visceral nature of our tactile sense, its opacity and shadows can tickle our eyesight, the sharp angles or smooth lines can communicate anxiety or tranquility, the layers and types of minerals can add infinite depth, the monochrome or multiple colors can illustrate flamboyancy - the list is endless. In my work I try to use all characteristics of a particular stone to communicate a particular feeling. I carve from the inside out, utilizing shapes not commonly seen in stone. The juxtaposition of the hard, cold, unforgiving nature of stone and the seemingly smooth, soft, fluid result opens the door to interpretation of the other qualities. My favorite tools are my hands, brains, intuition, hammer and chisels. I also draw from my formal training and practice as a physical therapist to pass onto my artwork the feel of the thousands of human bodies I have touched over the years. A sculpture is not done until it feels right to my hand glide.My recent fascination has been with the process of preservation of matter. Everything around us is recycled star material. The atoms and molecules simply recombine over time to form one object or another. When we pass, our physical beings get recycled by the earth and its resident flora and fauna, which in turn get recycled by the same global recycling system we call the Universe. This transformation, a metamorphosis, which results in no change in net matter, is the subject of my current artistic exploration. Stone is one of the most permanent objects around that I can think of, and yet it will also be recycled in time. I am the facilitator of this transformation for some of the earth's most permanent material. In the process I hope to release that screaming feeling trapped in stone by time and forces of nature. I live to sculpt.